The poster for the Royal Asiatic Society Korea youth panel on Nov. 19 / Courtesy of David Tizzard

The language of Generation Z can be confusing to older people, but a panel discussion this coming Tuesday, titled "God Life or Brat Life? Korean Women and the 21st Century," will either settle these intricacies or make them a whole lot harder to understand.

Derived from "god-saeng," the term "God Life" doesn't imply anything religious or transcendent.

"Instead, god-saeng refers to the pursuit of a meaningful life on both social and personal levels," said Kim Se-min, one of the 16 students from Seoul Women's University involved in the panel. All are students of David Tizzard, a Seoul Women's University professor and a Korea Times columnist.

"The core of god-saeng is not about living a life that looks impressive to others; rather, it's about focusing on a life that brings true satisfaction to oneself, independent of others' standards. What matters most is accumulating meaningful experiences and values. Through this journey, we come to understand ourselves more deeply and discover the lifestyle and direction that suit us best. We find joy in the small moments of daily life, and we gain the strength to keep going, even in tough times."

She explained that god-saeng is about building a life around what she genuinely enjoys and values. As a film major, she studies various aspects of media — such as planning, filming, editing and design — to learn more about society, culture and art. She also enjoys books, so she runs a book club, and pursues a double major in creative writing. On top of all that, she has also been practicing boxing for a decade.

"Although pursuing these interests can be physically and mentally demanding, I believe that this journey itself is part of finding my path and creating my version of god-saeng," Se-min said.

"I believe that the god-saeng trend for today's young women reflects their determination to recognize their own worth and turn it into visible achievements," Shin You-kyung said. "Modern young girls no longer accept the devaluation of their value. They have decided to become the 'gods' of their own lives, overcoming those who dismiss them, and forging their own paths. I look forward to the society that these 'gods' will shape, where their strength will no longer be seen as selfish but as inevitable."

The other side of the coin, as the lecture title indicates, is "Brat Life." While "brat" rose to prominence when Charli XCX declared failed U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris to be "brat," the term is not quite as well-known in Korea.

Ahn Su-bin explained that similar trends exist in Korea.

"For example, the popular 'Miracle Morning' is no longer viewed positively, and many young people in Korea now prefer pursuing their own rhythm, rather than sticking to overwhelming plans," she said. "Personally, I have experienced both the 'Miracle Morning' and 'That Girl' trends, but neither suited my lifestyle. At the same time, an overly bratty lifestyle doesn't work for me either."

"Miracle Morning" refers to a task-filled routine based on the book of the same name by Hal Elrod, while the TikTok trend "That Girl" promoted an idealized lifestyle prioritizing health, productivity and self-care.

She said what is required is a balance between god life and brat life.

"Like many young people, I believe finding a balance between these two lifestyles is key," Su-bin said.

Regarding feminism, which is often treated as a dirty word in Korea, Joo Yeong-hyeon expressed its necessity, while also wishing to correct misconceptions against it.

"Feminism and gender equality are essential issues that seek to correct historical imbalances and provide everyone with equal rights and opportunities," she said. "In contemporary society, feminism aims to eliminate systemic inequalities that disadvantage people based on gender. However, backlash often arises from misconceptions or fear of change, as well as misunderstandings of feminism's goals. I believe that addressing these misconceptions openly and promoting dialogue is crucial to progress toward a society where everyone can achieve their full potential."

Especially in Korea, Generation Z (born between 1997 and 2012) often gets lumped in with millennials, the preceding generation, millennials (born between 1980 and 1996).

"In Korea, many adults lump MZ together with millennials and Gen Z, even though there are many differences between them. Sometimes, they disparage and caricature them, saying, 'MZ is lazy, MZ is individualistic.' I think it's unreasonable to say that. MZ is creative and has positively changed the work environment in Korea," Park Yeong-seon said.

Kim Min-seo claims that Generation Z displays a noticeable increase in enjoyment of personal freedom and life compared to millennials, which is widely stereotyped as seeking validation and gratification through social media.

"The MZ Generation is often described as having the characteristic of strictly separating work and life, with portrayals of them leaving work on time and avoiding company gatherings," she said. "While millennials respond positively to these changes, noting that they have led to shorter working hours and a reduction in unnecessary after-work gatherings, Generation Z claims that they still work overtime and that the traits associated with the MZ Generation do not apply to them."

She admitted that there are consequences to this way of life, with its pursuit of individual validation while eschewing external acceptance.

"As a self-centered mindset takes hold, a lack of consideration for others has emerged, leading to difficulties in social interactions for many individuals," she said.

Kim Yoon-jin added that social media innovations, especially short-form videos like Reels, have driven people of her generation toward undesirable role models.

"I often see people consuming or imitating characters with negative influences simply because they find them funny," she said. "While freedom of expression should be respected, it's concerning when topics or characters that shouldn't spread end up going viral, leading young, unjudgmental kids to engage with them without understanding the impact."

But even as social media platforms increasingly drive public opinion, she still expresses a positive outlook on the technological environment into which her generation was born.

This also includes artificial intelligence (AI), which Kang Da-eun says she uses to answer questions on projects, such as summarizing information.

"Personally, I think those tools are working well," she said. "It helps us in various ways, such as saving time and energy. It reduces my anxiety, too. I get a lot of stress when I have to start things from scratch. However, with AI, it gets much easier. Even though wrong answers may exist, it still provides an outline which makes me feel confident and comfortable. Moreover, since they can emphasize to us if we code it in advance, it sometimes feels like a close friend. Well, the technology is getting developed day by day, and it's a lie if I say that I'm never afraid of AI. But still, I would use AI because I think they have more pros than cons."

On the other hand, Jeong Hyo-won acknowledges that AI provides a crutch, one that may hinder personal growth.

"As someone who values personal growth, I see a downside in not solving issues independently," she said.

Regarding the future, which their generation will likely spend more time living in than older generations, Kang Mi-so expressed her intention to stay positive.

"I wouldn't say I'm naturally optimistic, especially since I tend to worry a lot," she said. "But when I start to feel really down or overwhelmed by uncertainty, I make an effort to shift my perspective toward the positive. While I may not always feel certain about what's ahead, I try to stay open to the possibility of good things. That's what keeps me feeling optimistic."

"I have a positive outlook on the future because I am optimistic in the present and confident about what lies ahead," Kim Hyo-jeong added. "Of course, both the present and the future come with their uncertainties, but I don't view this anxiety negatively. I believe the future holds many hopeful possibilities."

The lecture starts at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday in the fifth-floor lounge of the FastFive building in Da-dong near Seoul City Hall. Entry costs 10,000 won or 5,000 won for students, and is free for Royal Asiatic Society Korea members. Attending online via Zoom is also possible. Visit raskb.com for more information.